Chicken salad is on the lunch menu at just about every deli and tea room in town as well as prominently featured in to-go containers at most grocery stores, right next to the South’s other favorite sandwich fixin’: pimento cheese. I’ve had it served on salads, on croissants and in mini tea sandwiches at every type of event from bridal shower to graduation party to funeral.

Chicken Salad Chick is bringing this beloved composed salad to the forefront of the culinary world, expanding its Southern brand across the country.

As of last week, Chicken Salad Chick had just opened its 95th store. The newest one is in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. This fast-casual concept is one of the fastest-growing franchises in the United States, with reported revenue of more than $12 million in 2016. (Now that’s a lot of chicken salad.)

Chicken Salad Chick is busy every day at lunch.(Photo11: Jennifer Chandler)

We have two Chicken Salad Chick restaurants in the Memphis area. One is in the heart of East Memphis at the intersection of Poplar and Perkins Ext. The other is in Olive Branch on Goodman Road. A third location in Germantown should open before the end of the year.

Chicken Salad Chick was founded by Stacy Brown in Auburn, Alabama, in 2008 in her home kitchen. This recently divorced, stay-at-home mom launched her own business by following her passion to create the “perfect” chicken salad.

“People in the South know and love chicken salad,” said Tom Carr, vice president of marketing. “As people are looking for options for lunch, they seem to like that we focus on one thing that we are truly passionate about. We have been tickled and thrilled how Memphis has embraced us.”

Chicken Salad Chick in East Memphis.(Photo11: Jennifer Chandler)

Chicken Salad Chick makes its chicken salads in each individual store every morning.

“Every item is made fresh daily,” Carr said. “Every ingredient is prepped and mixed in by hand.”

They offer 12 different varieties ranging from “Classic Carol” with minced celery and mayonnaise to “Sassy Scotty,” which has ranch, bacon and cheddar in the mix. (Did I mention that Stacy named all the flavors after her girlfriends?)

"We’ve been making approximately 350 to 500 pounds of chicken for per day in our Poplar and Perkins restaurant for our chicken salads. That’s approximately 10,000 pounds of chicken per month just in this restaurant," Carr said.

Chicken Salad Chick's Grab-n-Go Section.(Photo11: Jennifer Chandler)

I have just started tasting my way through the menu, but so far "Fancy Nancy," with Fuji apples, grapes and pecans, and "Jalapeno Holly," with pickled jalapenos, are my two favorites. Thanks to recommendations from friends, Sassy Scotty and Barbie-Q are next on my list to try.

Six to try

Chicken Salad Chick may be the newest addition to the chicken salad scene here in Memphis, but we have a lot of talented Memphians who make and serve their own signature chicken salads in locally owned restaurants and shops.

I spent the past few weeks tasting as many chicken salads as I could find. I had chicken salad on top of salads, in sandwiches and straight from the container with crackers. I was amazed at how many different variations there were. Each chef and restaurant offered their own personal twist.

Curb Side Casseroles has one of my favorite chicken salads. Owner Bradford Williams makes her rendition of this composed salad just like I do, with the addition of grapes and pecans. Bradford uses less mayonnaise than most, and she has a secret ingredient that most don’t add to this Southern-style sweet and savory chicken salad. “I think our customers like it because we add our homemade sweet pickles to the mix,” she said. The best way to enjoy Curb Side’s chicken salad? With their spicy homemade Firecracker crackers.

La Baguette Chicken Salad. Most guests order it on a croissant with a cup of tomato soup.(Photo11: Jennifer Chandler)

La Baguette’s chicken salad has been on the menu since this French bakery opened in 1976. “My mother-in-law Ruth Howse, who opened La Baguette, was a French-trained chef,” next generation owner Gene Amagliani said. “I think she developed the recipe and the special mixture of spices we use.” Made with shredded chicken, celery and scallions, La Baguette serves its chicken salad topped with sliced toasted almonds. The most popular way it is ordered at the bakery’s cafe is on a croissant with a cup of its spicy tomato soup on the side.

Carol Minneci may be known for her cheesecakes, but she also makes a tasty chicken salad. Her recipe was inspired by her grandmother and aunt. Minneci's chicken salad has an old school Southern flavor thanks to the additions of pickle relish and a creamy mayo-based salad dressing. “I chop my celery first and then sprinkle celery salt on top of it. While I am preparing the rest of the ingredients, the celery absorbs the celery salt. That really adds to the flavor,” Minneci described of a trick she learned while watching Food Network.

Paradise Café serves four different chicken salads on its menu. All are delicious, but it’s the Curried Chicken Salad with Walnuts and Raisins that I always order. “I've always liked the taste of Eastern flavors. Combined with the flavor of mild curry and honey, it makes a chicken salad that most of my customers come back for,” owner Robert Sternburgh said of his inspiration for this recipe. The curry flavor is mild and not overwhelming, so it complements the chicken instead over taking over. Plump raisins and crunchy walnuts add a nice texture to each bite. Enjoy it in a sandwich, over a green salad or, my favorite way, over Paradise Café's Floridian fruit salad.

In addition to steaks, Humphrey’s offers a selection of composed salads, sides, salad dressings and desserts. One bite of their chicken salad, and you won’t be surprised to learn that it is the top-selling item in this gourmet butcher shop. “Our Humphrey’s chicken salad is my mom’s recipe. She used to make it every Sunday,” longtime shop manager Terry Martin said. “I started making it here at the restaurant in the early 1990s as a new in-store offering, and I still make it daily — sometimes two or three times a day because it’s so popular. I think people love ours because it tastes like it’s made with love, like grandma’s.” Humphrey’s chicken salad has a mild flavor, with a nice crunch thanks to the freshly chopped celery.

This little downtown cafe serves one of the most unique chicken salads in town. “Our chicken salad is inspired by our time in Thailand,” chef and owner Tim Barker said. “We use free-range chicken from Marmilu Farms and, rather than a curry powder, we begin with a roasted panang curry paste — which gives a much brighter flavor. The mix is finished with house-made mango compote, fresh grated ginger and chopped cilantro.” Edge Alley serves its chicken salad on a bed of arugula with garnishes of brown sugar-glazed spiced peanuts, pickled red onion, heirloom tomatoes and house-made crackers. It makes for a delightful lunch.